Let’s start with a dog!! This is (I think or seem to remember, or I’ll stand corrected!) A Bernese Mountain dog called Rona, very friendly and gets very excited here where she knows she is going to get a venison bone. She is also very relaxed!!

Here’s the story to-day, after being kept awake most of the night by the howling gale and worrying about the boat it was kind of disappointing to waken up to torrential rain and flat calm. The boat quite safe on our one of our new moorings.From the balcony this morning, the sheep have taken up shelter below the house. In between trying to get the blog up to date we are carrying on with getting the Island back up to speed. Yesterday it was a job I’d wanted to do for so long and putting my foot through the ceiling of Seascape spurred me on.I gathered up the old flooring from the house build and headed over to Dry Harbour before yesterdays gale and rain started.A good mornings work dodging in and out between the rain got 99% of the floor done, three sheets short. The only problem was we found yet another problem.After 18 years the hot water cylinder has developed a leak, fortunately or not putting my foot through the ceiling has meant it was spotted before coming through the ceiling. New tank is ordered in fact two new tanks because it is for sure leaking in the other house that was renovated at the same time.

Back to the Catch Up Blog:

This spring early summer we sorted out the water supply once and for all.

The Spanish John arrived with Hi Water from Nairn and all their equipment.

The boys developing their training on ‘Playstations’

It was a bit of a mission dropping the gear especially after the driller threw a track right after this picture was taken. Below the high water mark but it was soon on its way.

We got the fuel delivery at the same time and after that was done and dusted we got back to cooking a meal for 20 served in the bothy. Just a normal day!!!!

The London Corinthian Yacht club had booked a dinner and we were very pleased to do cater for them. A great crowd who were very appreciative of our efforts.

All easy to do for us but it does not make the clearing up (next day) any easier.

Meanwhile the driller continued its journey to the sire and threw another track, after much cursing the rig was in place and after drilling 18 metres we found water but then drilled to 60metres plus. Very exciting stuff.

It was an interesting job welding the first three pipes together and then sinking plastic tubes to 60m.

Water was found and now we have a clear supply and good water to drink. This year was the worst I have seen for peaty water, the filters struggled to cope and I am very happy to have this supply after all these years

The Rig was ‘walked’ back to the shore for pick up later in the week and after three days the job was done.

Our Izusu died, the turbo seals blew. We tried to sell it for spares but no takers not even the ‘Scrappies’. So the jeep was towed back up to the garage and is now a shed/greenhouse!

All loaded and the landing craft was away, we wont see him back until December I think when we will be looking for fuel.

Meanwhile ‘George’ had found a new hiding place!!

Spring time and time for a clean out of the polytunnel, the kale had gone to seed so before it re-seeded the whole of the ‘tunnel I ripped it out and the sheep enjoyed a wee bonus, they made short work of it.

The weather earlier on this year has not been all bad and up until August we could go to Portree more or less whenever we wanted.

Even with the boat developing hull problems our repair is holding and it is good to be able to get the stores over again.

The skies in the middle of the Sound of Raasay are always worth a photo’, not to-day though.

Catching up and looking through the list, this job has been hanging over us for years. The room behind the gable has always been damp and once we started digging it became apparent why. We have now drained it all and fingers crossed another tick in the box.

Clive and Ali were over for a longer period this year and very much appreciated their help and support. Because we were looking for new residents/workers for Rona Lodge they had offered to step in on three week periods and in these times we really caught up on Spring work, the house had not been painted outside for some time and was in real need.

Their friends from the South were up on holiday and enjoyed the wonderful weather at that time.

Well, almost!!!!

Talking more about the weather, here’s a Yachtie thing. This was one of the few gales at that time, a real blow. This yacht tried to anchor a few times then eventually held. When I got up in the middle of the night I spotted the crew sitting at the helm, I guess watching in case the boat dragged, a long night. Now what I always wonder is why would you not pick up one of the 4 clearly visible brand new moorings (at that time) and just go to sleep and forget it, only £10, I guess the yacht here would be a few Zeros onto that £10!!!!! Maybe they had no money left, maybe someone could enlighten me?

We had been concreting the path at the pier, another long wished for job. But ran out of cement, this was a while ago and no progress yet. Awaiting material then some more.Back to the boat and although we repaired it we had to take it back out of the water to check the repair and lift the engines as they were not just quite performing right. More on that later but that is all for to-day.

Here’s a picture from better weather times!! And on the Yachtie forum I’m following one commentator said that we had ruined the harbour by putting in 4 moorings!!! They said there was no room now!

More catch up coming soon.

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About Bill Cowie

I've been living on the island since April 2002, alone for the first 5 years, my partner L joined me in 2007. We manage the Island for a Danish family who bought the Island in the early 90's.
Their hopes for the Island are to make it self sufficient supporting its inhabitants and that is where we come in.
We look after the stock, 3 holiday cottages, machinery, boat and of course the visitors.
It is pretty challenging but it is a beautiful place to live and work, we love it and strangely enough we love it even more in the depths of winter when all is quiet apart from the gales and rain.
We do a bit of fishing, stock work, stalking deer and loads of other stuff. We have good support from lots of people whom we have met over the years and have become involved in the Island. Too many to mention here but keep an eye on the blog, they'll be there for sure in the future.